OBJECTIVETo evaluate the relationship of the expression of bone morphogenefic protein-7 (BMP-7) in the liver and the liver fibrosis and inflammation in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, to explore the role of BMP-7 in the fibrogenesis of chronic hepatitis B.

METHODS81 patients chronically infected with HBV were enrolled. Liver biopsy were performed in all these patients. The hematoxylin staining and reticular fiber staining were performed for the grading of inflammation and staging of fibrosis, respectively. The patients were divided into different groups by the inflammatory grade or fibrosis stage (8, 14, 19, 22, 18 patients with inflammatory grade of G0, G1, G2, G3, G4, respectively; 8, 16, 21, 24, 12 patients with fibrosis stage of S0, S1, S2, S3, S4, respectively ). Then the immunohistochemical staining by BMP-7 were performed. The expression of BMP-7 in the liver was evaluated by digital image quantitative analysis system. We compared the expression of BMP-7 in the liver with different inflammatory grade and fibrosis stage.

RESULTSThe expression of BMP-7 in the liver tissue increased with the increase of hepatic inflammatory grade and fibrosis. When liver biopsy showed a severe intrahepatic inflammation, the expression of BMP-7 significantly increased, regardless the intrahepatic fibrosis stage. Similarly, when liver biopsy showed a severe intrahepatic fibrosis, the expression of BMP-7 also significantly increased, regardless the intrahepatic inflammatory grade.

CONCLUSIONBMP-7 may play an important role as anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrogenic effect in the fibrogenesis of chronic hepatitis B.